1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of producing profiled strips on glazing panes.
It relates more particularly to an intermediate fastening device and to its fitting method, for the fitting of an attachment, such as a sealing trim, onto a portion of a profiled strip, and in particular onto a portion of a profiled strip fastened to the periphery of a glazing pane, this fitting operation being carried out by means of an intermediate fastening device comprising at least one clip having at least an upstream cooperating part intended to cooperate with said profiled strip and a downstream cooperating part intended to cooperate with said attachment.
2. Background
The prior art teaches, from International patent application WO 2005/033526, a trim clip-fastening system for a profiled strip using a flexible clip having a simple first protrusion intended to be inserted into a simple first groove of the profiled strip and a more complex second protrusion, in the form of a hook, intended to be inserted into a likewise more complex groove of the profiled strip by deformation of the flexible clip. The clip is thus hooked onto the profiled strip. A profiled strip pinching effect is also obtained by having a slightly shorter distance between the two protrusions of the clip than between the two grooves of the profiled strip.
To fasten the trim, the strip is firstly introduced into a protrusion of the clip and then the clip is again deformed in order to allow the trim to pass over a projection of the profiled strip.
Now, it turns out that this deformation is exactly contrary to the deformation enabling the clip to be hooked onto the profiled strip.
Once the fitting operation has been completed, the flexible clip is thus permanently subjected to opposed tensile forces that tend both to keep it hooked onto the profiled strip and to keep the trim clipped onto the clip.
This system is not satisfactory since the vibrations experienced by the profiled strip during operation of the vehicle, particularly on a bumpy road, cause deformations of the seal (profiled strip) that may result in the permanently tensioned flexible clip becoming detached and consequently may lead to the trim being lost.
Also known, from International patent application WO 2007/003823, is an intermediate fastening device of the type described above.
According to that document, the upstream cooperating part includes at least a projecting male element or a hollow female element, this element cooperating with a corresponding hollow female element or a corresponding projecting male element respectively provided in the profiled strip, said hollow female element having internal dimensions at least partly smaller than the external dimensions of said projecting male element.
This cooperation is thus of the “mortise-and-tenon” type with a rubbing effect between at least one part of the surfaces of the elements.
An important advantage of this device over the previous one lies in the reliability of the fastening system: it allows reliable retention of the trim, including under extreme, especially vibration, conditions.
However, this system complicates the design of the profiled strip and necessitates designing a particular profiled strip that has particular male or female areas.
In particular, this system requires the clip to be positioned very precisely in order for the upstream cooperating part to cooperate correctly with the corresponding part provided in the profiled strip.
The prior art also teaches, from U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,760, a clip having flexible tabs, these tabs being spaced apart so as to pass a protrusion into which the ends of the tabs penetrate when an extraction force is applied to the clip.
The prior art furthermore teaches, from International patent application WO 2008/084076, a trim clip-fastening system for a profiled strip, this profiled strip having areas provided for receiving retaining elements of the clip, these provided areas taking the form of holes for retaining the arrow-shaped retention elements of the clip.
In order for there to be cooperation between the clip and the profiled strip, it is therefore necessary to position the clip precisely with respect to the profiled strip in order for the retention elements of the clip to correctly penetrate into the receiving means of the profiled strip. Furthermore, the encapsulation mold must have moving parts at the place of each clip in order to allow it to be demolded.